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Mihaela Lica Butler

Things have changed a lot in PR. Traditional still stands – PR is still about telling the story of a brand, but this story can no longer be impersonal and void of meaning. Yet, not many companies grasp this concept. Many are still using terms that put-off the consumers, and they are still focused on selling a product, rather than offering an experience. And this is what needs to change. In fact, this is the new trend, the thing that makes brands like P&G truly great – their “Thank You Mom” campaigns are proof of creative modern PR.

There are a few principles good PR needs to follow, and the most important can be summarized in one short sentence: “Know your audience, know where to find it, and how to find it.” And before starting to broadcast the message, modern PR needs to ask the question: “Why do I need to find my audience?” Sure, depending on conjectures, there are many answers, all focused on ROI. In my experience, when you have an ROI-focused answer, one that makes you obsess over metrics, the best recipe for success is to go the other way: stop thinking about ROI, and start thinking about people. Put yourself in place of your audience: would you still buy the product you are promoting if you were not the one advocating it? And start the arguments from there.

It’s no longer enough to announce a new product. That product needs to fill a need – be it practical, or abstract.

Based on the interests of that audience, PR needs to provide the right experience. And it is hard, because all industries are highly competitive online. Basically, if PR fails to keep up with technology (as in smart phones, tablets, and wearables) and social media, it fails. Also, PR needs to understand the different facets of social media, and how to use every network for its purpose, creatively, without posting the same status update, ad nauseam, everywhere. This takes more effort, and creative genius, because saying the same thing in different ways to appeal to the users of each social network can be challenging. Instagram and Pinterest are highly visual; YouTube is video; Facebook works better for rich content, although there are situations where “like-baiting” works; Google + is an SEO booster; LinkedIn is for professional messages; and the list could go on.

PR requires more time, effort, and creativity than ever in the past, and there’s no turning back. PR adapts to its times, grows, and shifts. You still need to tell the right story, but the challenge is to find the right channel, and to adapt your story for each channel individually.

In the upcoming months, teams of experts from SnapShot GmbH will conduct a series of briefings on hotel analytics and hotel data usage in key cities in Germany, Austria, the UK, and Belgium. The company will also demonstrate the full capabilities of its flagship product, SnapShot Analytics, and will offer a series of one-on-one demo sessions.

The presentation part will give valuable insights on how hotels are impacted by big data and how they can use it to benefit their operation,” said Dr. Stefan Tweraser, CEO. “Hoteliers will then have the chance to experience the functionalities and benefits of SnapShot Analytics first-hand in one-on-one demo sessions.

SnapShot Analytics, the highly anticipated, flagship product of the company, is a cloud-based hotel analytics tool that presents a comprehensive overview of a specific’s hotel data on a powerful yet intuitive dashboard. The product was publicly introduced for the first time at ITB Berlin 2016, the global travel’s industry leading trade show, where it was received with great interest by hoteliers and data experts. The upcoming roadshows are part of SnapShot GmbH’s strategy of growth, and aim to raise awareness among hoteliers on the key features and benefits of SnapShot Analytics, a new, essential tool for any hotel management team.

SnapShot will be in Edinburgh on April 12th, Vienna and Glasgow on April 13th, Liverpool on May 11th, Manchester and Brussels on May 12th and in Hamburg on May 24th.

SnapShot is a hotel data and analytics company that makes it easy for hotels to access and analyze data. SnapShot’s flagship product is Analytics, a free cloud-based data aggregator and analytics tool that aids hotels in demand management, revenue management, marketing, and operational strategies. In line with SnapShot’s goal to aid hoteliers is SnapShot’s educational initiative, which includes online courses and bootcamps.

User generated content (UGC) is what influences a great number of travelers to make informed decisions about destinations they want to visit. Sites like TripAdvisor, Stay.com and others count among the pioneer travel sites that understood that UGC is not just a trend, but a reality that is here to stay. [Read more…] about UGC: The Hottest Marketing Trend